When it comes to baking, I like to keep it simple, preferring presentations that are not too fussy, but fresh and light. This especially applies to cake.

It was my daughter’s birthday recently, and her favorite cake is a Danish lagkage (layer cake), which is the traditional birthday cake served at celebrations. In refreshing Danish fashion, the cake is simple and minimal, with thin layers of vanilla sponge, whipped cream and fresh fruit. In the summer, we pluck raspberries and strawberries for decoration and to layer between the cake. In the winter, we smear preserves (made from berries we picked the previous summer) over each cake layer before adding the cream. Sometimes we combine both the whole fruit and the preserves. It’s flexible and beautiful, no piping, no bling. The only decorations are a pile of fresh berries on top and pretty snipped edible flowers from the garden. It’s perfect.

I have messed around with different vanilla cake recipes over the years, and this is the one I currently favor. This sponge cake recipe is adapted from Cooks Illustrated. Make sure that all of the sponge cake ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.

Danish Layer Cake With Whipped Cream and Berries

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling time

Yield: Serves: 8 to 10

Cake:

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

Whipped Cream:

2 cups chilled heavy cream

2 tablespoons sifted confectioners' sugar

1 cup raspberries

Assorted berries (raspberries, sliced strawberries, red or black currants) for garnish

Fresh edible flowers and herb sprigs for garnish

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter two (8- or 9-inch) cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and butter the parchment.

Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium bowl to combine.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Briefly mix on low speed to blend.

Add 1/3 of the butter to the flour mixture and mix on low speed to blend, then increase the speed to medium and mix for about 10 seconds.

Add half of the remaining butter and mix for 10 to 15 seconds to blend. Add the remaining butter and mix for 10 to 15 seconds. The mixture should be wet and granular.

Add half of the egg mixture and mix to just combine without overmixing. Add the remaining egg mixture and mix until smooth without overmixing.

Divide the batter between the pans. Transfer to the oven and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cakes and cool completely. When cool, use a serrated knife to slice the cakes in half horizontally (optional).

Make the cream:

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer until traces of the whisk are apparent. Add the sugar and beat until firm peaks form. Place 1 cup raspberries in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add half of the whipped cream and gently stir to combine.

Assemble:

Place one cake layer on a cake plate and top with raspberry cream. Repeat with remaining layers. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. (You can leave the sides “naked” if desired.) Top with fresh berries. Garnish with snipped edible flowers and/or herbs. Serve the cake immediately.

Tip: If you would like more fruit flavor, gently heat 8 ounces high-quality raspberry preserves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until runny. Cool slightly and spread over each cake layer before topping with the whipped cream.

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When it's super-hot outside, who wants to cook? In the heat of summer, dinner prep should be low-maintenance. Appetites are limp in high temperatures, and fresh salads filled with juicy ingredients are cool and nourishing. For a whole meal, salads can reach beyond the garden while remaining light and fresh. The addition of legumes and grains provides substance, less the weight of heavy meat proteins. Tabbouleh salad is a perfect answer to this tall hot-weather order.

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad consisting of nutty bulgur wheat and gads of fresh chopped herbs and chopped garden vegetables. Bulgur is a nutritious, cracked whole-wheat cereal grain that is minimally processed, and a good source of protein, B vitamins, magnesium and iron. It’s available as a fine, medium or coarse grain.

While traditional tabbouleh often uses fine-grain bulgur, I prefer medium-grain with its toothsome satisfying texture. The salad is bound together by olive oil and generous squirts of bright citrus juice, and infused with the flavor of an unabashed amount of spices.

This salad is delicious as is, or spooned into pita pockets and garnished with additional feta, fresh mint and a squirt of harissa or hot sauce. Either way, it’s guaranteed to wake your taste buds from their summer siesta reverie.

Greek Tabbouleh Salad

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

1 1/2 cups bulgur

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste

3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, diced

1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup crumbled feta

Combine the bulgur, water, and lemon juice in a bowl. Cover the bowl and let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes.

Fluff the bulgur with a fork, and add the oil, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne and stir to blend. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and taste for seasoning. If the bulgur is too dry, add additional olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve your desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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It’s Nacho Night at our house. Yes, I confess. Foodie I may be, parent I certainly am, and health-minded ... almost without fail. But there is always a time and place for nachos. We can all do with a little cheesy nacho goodness from time to time to balance out a healthy diet, to dig into with our hands, and to wash down with an ice-cold drink. And as a heaping platter of chips goes, this one is relatively, um, light. Is it possible to call nachos healthy? Where there is a will, there is a way.

This recipe for fun food isn't as decadent as you might think. On the nacho scale of goop and weight, it scores relatively high on lightness and freshness. Sure, it’s layered with the requisite melty cheese (as any bona fide nacho plate should be). Otherwise, it is not bogged down with mounds of meat, cream and beans, rendering its nest of chips soggy and heavy. Instead, there’s a generous helping of plump, garlicky shrimp and a colorful smattering of chopped fresh vegetables and herbs, such as tomato, onion, avocado and cilantro, layered throughout the chips in the spirit of a deconstructed salsa.

The point is that these nachos are tasty finger food, inviting interactive, family-style dining. And we can also all do with a little fun and togetherness when it comes to sharing our food and eating. These nachos score top points for that.

Shrimp Nachos

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 6

Shrimp:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 pound medium (21/25) shrimp, shelled and deveined

Salsa:

1 large ripe, but not mushy, avocado, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 to 10 ounces salted tortilla chips

4 cups grated sharp Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese

3 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced

2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup

1 large vine-ripened tomato, cored and seeded, diced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes, and stir until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the shrimp in one layer and cook until pink and just cooked through, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes. (It's OK if the shrimp are a little under-done. They will continue to cook in the oven.) Transfer the shrimp to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Combine the avocado, lime juice, remaining cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl and gently stir to coat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread half of the tortilla chips in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or sheet pan. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese, half of the white scallions, half of the jalapenos and half of the red onion over the chips. Spread the remaining chips over the top and sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese over the chips. Scatter the remaining white scallions, jalapenos and red onion over the top. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and the nachos are hot, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn on the broiler.

Arrange the shrimp over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the shrimp. Transfer to the oven and broil until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and scatter avocado, tomatoes, green scallions and cilantro evenly over the top. Serve immediately.

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